Tag: Muscle biology

According to food science research, myofibrillar proteins like myosin and actin make up over 50% of the total protein in meat. This is why the main protein in meat is called myosin, working in tandem with actin and other proteins to form the muscle structure we consume.

Despite its long association with dairy, a vast majority of commercially produced lactic acid is actually derived from non-dairy sources. The misconception that lactic acid always comes from milk often stems from its name, which shares a prefix with lactose, the milk sugar. This article explores the truth about lactic acid's origins, revealing that it is a versatile compound with a far more diverse story.

Myoglobin, the protein responsible for the reddish color of meat, is an iron-containing heme protein present in skeletal and cardiac muscles. Its primary function is to serve as a carrier and storage unit for oxygen within muscle cells, confirming that muscles do have heme iron. The amount of myoglobin, and therefore heme iron, determines the color difference between 'red' and 'white' meat.

Creatine, a natural organic compound, was first isolated from meat in 1832 by French scientist Michel Eugène Chevreul. Where does animal creatine come from? The answer lies in a combination of internal bodily synthesis and external dietary intake, primarily from meat and fish.

According to scientific studies, the amount of water tightly bound to muscle proteins is estimated to be approximately 0.5 grams of water per gram of protein. The water to protein ratio is not a single, fixed number but rather a dynamic concept that varies significantly depending on the context, from the molecular level within a protein's structure to practical applications in food science and nutrition.